A sake drinker Ichibay reports events that occur in his daily life and coveys his casually conceived ideas, focusing especially on sake and sake-related items and events. He sometimes writes about his short trips in his country Japan or provides some Japanese cultural stuff related to kimono, local performing arts, etc.

Sep 14, 2013

Hiyaoroshi Season

It is September now, and it is a special season for sake lovers, the
season of hiyaoroshi.

Hiyaoroshi is a type of the sake that is
pasteurized after being pressed in winter or early spring, then aged in a cool
storage house until summer is over, and then bottled without undergoing the
process of second-time pasteurization (many sake products are pasteurized
twice).

Many of the breweries in Tokyo are now shipping their hiyaoroshi products. So, I called the
liquor shop I patronize to bring me two bottle of hiyaoroshi. They are Kasen Tokubetsu Honjozo Hiyaoroshi and Sawanoi
Hiyaoroshi.

We still have some hot summery days between series of autumnal fresh days,
but regardless of its being hot or cool, I'm enjoying autumn flavor.

The owner of the liquor shop, when bringing me these bottles, told me
that the Sawanoi Hiyaoroshi of this year was especially good and recommended me
to have it lukewarm. Probably, my sake warmer kandouko will be busy from this September until next spring.